Peanut allergy transferred between a donor and recipient of a lung transplant

The 12 year old lung donor died from anaphylactic shock after eating peanut-containing food.

Seven months after the transplantation, the 42 year old recipient (no prior history of peanut allergy), had an anaphylactic reaction after eating a peanut butter cookie. She survived.

Skin-prick testing confirmed peanut sensitization. Although her skin-prick test eventually became negative, she still manifested peanut allergy when challenged orally with the food.

Lung tissue contains 600,000 mast cells per gram with each cell having 135,000 IgE receptors.

Transfer of peanut allergy from donor to recipient has been described after liver transplantation.


Eight top allergens account for 90 percent of all food allergies. See more Allergy and Immunology mind maps here.

References:
Peanut allergy may be transferred by lung transplantation, case shows. Roger Dobson. BMJ 2008;337:a1512.
Transfer of Peanut Allergy From the Donor to a Lung Transplant Recipient. Imran Khalid, MD, Edward Zoratti, MD, Lisa Stagner, DO, Alan D. Betensley, MD, Hasan Nemeh, MD, Lisa Allenspach, MD. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation doi:10.1016/j.healun.2008.07.015.